Hand knitting machines



Sept. 11, 1962 DENzABURo TERAYAMA ErAL 3,053,064

HAND KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 16, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TORS Sept. ll, 1962 DENzABuRo TERAYAMA Erm. 3,053,064

HAND KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 16. 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INKENTORS .ZWW La/Mam Sept. 11, 1962 DENzABuRo TERAYAMA ETAL 3,053,064

HAND KNITTING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 16, 1958 INVENTORS Sept 11, 1962 DENzABURo TERAYAMA ErAL 3,053,064

HAND KNITTING MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 16, 1958 JNVENToRs Sept. 11, 1962 DENZABURO TERAYAMA Erm. 3,053,064

HAND KNITTING MACHINES Filed-Dec. 16, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TORS HAND KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 16. 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS United States Patent fitice 3,053,064 Patented Sept. 11, 1962 HAND KNI'ITING MACHINES Denzaburo Terayama, 7 Fujimi-cho, Nakano-ku, and

Kyonosuke Yamanaga, 761 Shimofuda-machi, Chofushi, both of Tokyo, Japan Filed Dec. 16, 1958, Ser. No. 780,749 Claims priority, application Japan Dec. 23, 1957 8 Claims. (Cl. 66-60) This invention relates to hand knitting machines, and particularly to a means for preventing a knitted fabric from moving improperly, and more particularly to a sinker whereby the knitted fabric is prevented from slipping out of the sinker.

It has been known that a knitted fabric may slip out of a sinker when a cooperating latch needle advances, and a fabric presser and/or a weight may become necessary in order to prevent the knitted fabric from making such an undesirable slipping movement. Because of the provision of the fabric presser and/ or the weight, it becomes disadvantageously troublesome to operate the hand knitting machine, for example, when the yarn is to `be reset or when the reverse of the knitted fabric is to be inspected.

One object of this invention is to provide a hand knitting machine in which a fabric may be knitted completely without a fabric presser which fabric will hang down naturally without a weight.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hand knitting machine in which any needle loop is prevented from slipping out of a sinker without a fabric presser and a weight.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a hand knitting machine in which especially a yarn may ybe reset in a remarkably easy manner lby virtue of the absence of a fabric presser.

A further object of this invention is to provide a hand knitting machine wherebfy a puffy and neat stitch may -be obtained by virtue of the complete absence of a weight.

A further object of this invention is to provide a hand knitting machine in which a knitted fabric is prevented from slipping out of a latch needle and a sinker even if the reverse of the fabric is turned out for the purpose of inspecting a figure in case fancy stitch work is lbeing done.

A further object of this invention is to provide a hand knitting machine in which the sinker springs are elastic and tenacious enough so that passage of the yarn is not created by force but means of deforrning the spring resulting in simplifying the knitting operation so that the sinkers may discharge their primary duties by virtue of the elastic sinker spring.

Briey stated in accordance with one aspect of this invention, there is a row of sinkers each of which is provided with a transversely widened head having right and left-hand shoulders so as to prevent a course-forming needle loop of the knitted fabric from passing across the row of sinkers together with a latch needle on which said needle loop is carried especially when said needle loop is pushed over said latch, in such a manner that said needle loop may engage with said shoulders of` said widened head of said sinker, permitting passage of said latch needle through a space between said widened head of a sinker and the same of the neighbouring sinker. The h ead as above may be made of an elastic material and shaped so as to bedeformable in the transversal direction only. Alternatively, the head as above may be provided with a swingable element which can be swung upwards when a latch needle is drawn back with a fresh loop and is replaced immediately thereafter so as to pass the latch needle only through a space between said head of a sinker and thesarne of the neighbouring sinker when said latch needle is advanced.

The invention will be better understood and other objects and additional advantages 'of the invention will become apparent upon perusal of the following description taken in connection with the appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a row of sinkers and the relative parts thereof embodying the principles of this invention taken in a somewhat frontward and downward direction.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view thereof taken in a somewhat backward and downward direction.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D are partly sectional side elevations of the row in which the successive steps of an advancing latch needle are shown.

FIG. 4 is a View taken on the line A-A of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 rbut showing another embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to F-IG. another embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 7 is a partly sectional front view of a sinker with parts removed shown in FIG. 6 on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 8 is a side view thereof.

FIG. 9 is a cross-section thereof.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing operations of the embodiment. 4 i

FIGS. 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E, 11F, and 11G show partly sectional side elevations of the row of the embodiment in which an operating latch needle is shown successively, the A, B, C, G corresponding to A, B, C, G indicated in FIG. 10, respectively.

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing further another embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 13 is a side view of a sinker with parts removed shown in FIG. 12 on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 14 is a rear view thereof. v

FIG. 15 is a plan view showing various operations of the embodiment. l K

FIGS. 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E, 16F, 16G, and 16H show partly sectional side elevations of the row of the embodiment in which an operating latch needle is shown successively, the A, B, C, H corresponding to A, B, C, H indicated in FIG. 15, respectively. k

FIG. 17 shows the sinker shown in FIG. l on an enlarged scale.

FIGS. 18 through 21 show similar sinkers thereto.

FIG. 22 shows the row of sinkers shown in FIG. 5 with parts removed.

FIGS. 23 and 24 show similar rows of sinkers thereto.

FIG. 25 is a partly sectional front view of a sinker similar to that shown in FIG. 7 with parts removed.

FIG. 26 is a partly sectional front view of still another sinker on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 27 is a side elevation thereof.

FIG. 28 is a cross-section thereof. Y

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of a deformable element as shown in FIG. 30.

FIG. 30 is a sectional front view of further another sinker similar to that shown in FIG. 26.

FIG. 31 is a side view thereof.

FIG. 32 is a partly sectional front view of still further another sinker similar to that shown in FIG. 30.

FIG. 33 is `a side view thereof.

FIG. 34 is a perspective View showing a pair of ti-ltabl elements to be used in the above sinker shownin FIGS. 32 and 33.

FIG. 35 is a plan view of a spring to be used in the above sinker shown in FIGS. 32 and 33.

FIG. 36 is a side view of a sinker similar to that shown in FIGS. 12, 13 and 14.

FIG. 37 is a rear view thereof.

FIG. 38 is a side view of another sinker shown in FIGS. 12, 13, and 14. And

1 but showing 'still FIG. 39 is a side View thereof.

Referring now to drawings, a plurality of upwardly inclined sinkers 1 is provided on a body 15 forming a horizontal row of sinkers. A plurality of latch needles 2 is so arranged that each of the latch needles 2 is provided with a stern which is adapted to protrude through a space between two neighbouring sinkers 1 as usual. According to this invention, the sinkers 1 have specilied shapes. That is, each of the sinkers v1 comprises a stem as usual and is provided with a widened head 11, which may be integral with the stem as shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 17 through 24, or with a deformable element 20 as shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31 or' a swingable element 22 illustrated and shown in FIGS. 12, 13, 14, l5, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E, 16F, 16G, and 16H, or tiltable elements 49 as shown in FIGS. 32, 33, and 34. Each of the widened head portions 11 of the corresponding elements is formed with a shoulder or shoulders at the bottom thereof. The two neighbouring heads 11 of two adjacent sinkers 1 are spaced a specified distance 4. The extent S of the distance 4 is appreciably less than the sum of a thickness P of the stem of the latch needle 2 and a double thickness of a yarn 6 (in FIGS. 1 through 6, 10, 11, 12, 15, and 16) stretched. By virtue of the above arrangement, a needle loop 6 forming a knitted course is prevented from slipping out of the sinkers 1 in such a manner as to engage the shoulders 12 of the widened heads 11 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The courseforming needle loop 6 is engaged with the shoulders 12 of the widened head 11 as above, while the latch needle 2 advances between two neighbouring sinkers 1 through a somewhat relieving path in the narrow space 4 over the engaged loop 6 with the shoulders 12 so that the loop 6 is prevented from slipping off the sinker 1 as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C.

It is not necessary that the widened head 11 of the sinker 1 be a plate as shown in FIGS. 1 and 17, but it is rather preferable that the widened head be semi-circular in cross section as shown in FIGS. 18 through 21. Also, it is not necessary to shape the sinker 1 plain from the stem to the head 11 as shown in FIG. 17, but it is rather preferable to shape it on a gradient somewhat on an incline to the plane over a neck 56, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 through 21, arranged between the stem 5 and the widened head 11 of the sinker 1. By virtue of this structure, when a latch needle 2 recedes between the two neighbouring sinkers 1 carrying a yarn 6 to form a fresh needle loop 17 and the yarn 6 is knocked over a needle head (when the needle loop 17 hooked by the latch needle has been removed from it), the semi-circular cross-sectional head 11 and the somewhat tilted neck 56 will facilitate slippage of the newly formed needle loop 6 from the head 11 to the stem 5. In this instant the newly formed needle loop 6 is converted into a course-forming needle loop 3 in a knitted fabric. In addition, when the latch needle 2 is advanced between two sinkers 1, the needle loo-p 3 is prevented from slipping olf the sinker 1, and is engaged by the shoulders 12 of the sinker 1. It is a necessary condition that the extent S of the distance between the two neighbouring widened heads 11 be greater than the sum ofthe thickness P of the tip portion of the latch needle 2 and a double thickness of the stretched yarn, because such a condition is required to permit passage of the latch needle 2 carrying the yarn 28 through the narrow space 4. To meet this requirement, it is preferable to narrow the widened head 11 or to widen the narrow space 4 at the portion across which the yarn 281s taken in by the hook of the latch needle so as to facilitate the above. FIG. 1S shows a sinker 1 having a channel shaped head 11 while the remaining portions 24 form the widened shoulders 12.

When the latch needle 2 is in its rearmost position, a newly formed needle loop 17 and newly formed sinker loops 16 are engaged with the latch needle 2 and are Set entirely between stems. of the sinkers 1, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. This fact shows that the knitted fabric hangs down naturally without a weight. According to prior art, knitted fabric is prevented from slipping out of needles by means of a fabric presser which presses the knitted fabric outside the row of sinkers while the needle loops lie inside of the row. Thus in View of a difference in position between the presser and the needle loop, it is natural that the fabric presser itself does not act to cause the knitted fabric to hang down naturally resulting in that there is a necessity to provide a weight. Meantime, according to this invention, as the course-forming needle loop 3 is engaged with and pulled by the shoulders 12 of the widened heads 11 of the sinkers when the latch needle 2 is advanced between the sinkers 1, the needle loops are pressed inside the row of sinkers 1 (opposite side to an operator). Thus there is not such a difference in position between the line where the pressing action is subjected and the needle loops, resulting in that the needle loops are prevented from slipping out completely and in addition, the knitted fabric will hang down naturally. Accordingly, it becomes entirely unnecessary to use a weight in the hand knitting machine in accordance with this invention.

The sinkers may be formed of an elastic wire 30 and set in a row on the body 15. This structure is characterised by the following fact. That is, each of the sinkers 1 has a widened head 11. The neighbouring two heads 11 of adjacent sinkers 1 are spaced a specified space 4. The extent of the distance 4 is appreciably less than a sum of thickness P of the stem of the latch needle 2 and a double thickness of a yarn 6 stretched. By virtue of the above arrangement, a needle loop 6 forming a knitted course is prevented from slipping olf the sinkers 1 while engaging with the shoulders 12 which are formed by inclined portions of the wire 30 of the widened heads 11 and the latch needles 2 are permitted to project through the row of sinkers leaving the loop in front of the sinkers 1, when the latch needle 2 is advanced beyond the row of sinkers and, especially, when the needle loop is pushed over the latch, as shown in FIG. 3C. When the Ilatch needle 2 retires carrying the yarn to form a new course, the latch needle 2 can pass the space between the heads v11 carrying the yarn by virtue of the elasticity of the wire 30.

Some modifications of the sinker needle 1 made of the elastic wire 30 are illustrated in FIGS. 22 through 24. In these structures, it is preferable to form the row with a single line of wire 30 and to provide the narrowed space `4 between two neighbouring heads 11, with the widened portion above the narrowed space 4 formed by the inclined neck 56 as mentioned hereinbefore.

As shown in FIGS. 22 through 24, in these embodiments, a plurality of sinkers 1 is constructed with a single line of the elastic wire which is bent in a plane as shown in the drawings, any one of the sinkers 1 comprising two borders of the widened head, two borders of the neck, two borders of the stem, with one connecting part between the lefthand half and right-hand half, and one connecting part with the neighbouring sinker. By Virtue of this structure, the border line of any of the sinkers has suflicient elasticity and tenacity resulting in that, when the border line of Wire is pressed by a yarn and a latch needle 2 passing across the row of sinkers, the border lline is deformed easily and also restored easily and immediately returns to its original state.

FIGS. 6 through 11 show a modified sinker 1. The sinker 1 is capable of being deformed in the direction toward the right and left but not in a direction toward the front and rear. In order to satisfy the requirement, this sinker comprises a widened head comprising -a deformable element 2G. In this embodiment, the sinker itself is a rod having a rectangular cross section and a slot 39 formed through the sinker in a right and left hand direction. A deformable element 20 shaped similar to an isosceles triangle is made of an elastic wire such as piano wire and is retained in place in the slot 39 by means of two pins 32 iixed to the sinker 1 and extending across the `slot 39 and an inwardly bent portion at one end of the wire formed in each side of the isosceles triangle of the deformable element 20. The deformable element has both ends spaced an extent from each other in the base of the triangle so that two points of the basic angles are normally left out of the slot 39 rightwards and leftwards to form the shoulders 12 but enter the slot 39 when the deformable element is pressed inwardly.

FIG. shows another modification of the deformable elementl 20. rIhe deformable element 20 of this embodiment is a specially shaped ring made of an elastic wire. The shape of this deformable element 20 is secured to an isosceles triangle having a downward extension. The triangle is kept in place in the slot 39 by means of two pins 42 fixed to the sinker 1 at the vertex of the triangle and the center of the downward extension. In this case the two points 12 of the basic angles are also normally left out of the slot 39 but enter the slot 39 when the deformable element 2() is pressed inwardly.

FIGS. 26 through 28 show still another modification of the deformable element 29. In Athis modification, the deformable element 20 is an elastic ring 44 shaped similar to a long ellipse and has two long triangular fins 45 on both sides. The deformable element 20 is held in position in the slot 39 by means of two pins 43 extending across the slot 39 of the sinkers 1. When the two fins 45 are pressed transversally by the latch needle the yarn carried by the same will cause the fins 45 to enter the slot 39 easily but will be restored immediately so as to catch the needle loop when the latch needle is advanced again, by virtue of the elasticity of the deformable element 20. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 29, 30 and 31, a recess 38 is substituted for the lower one of the two pins 43.

FIGS. 32 through 35 show another embodiment in which a widened head is composed of two tiltable elements 49 cooperating with a spring 5i. The tiltable element 49 comprises a triangular n `47, a leg 48 extending from a basic angle of the triangular iin, and an eye through the vertex of the triangular iin 47, as shown in FIG. 34. The two tiltable elements 49 are kept in place in the slot 39 one over another by means of la pin 46 extending through the two eyes of the two tiltable elements 49 and fixed to the sinker. The two legs 48 tend to spread apart and thus normally project the two iins 47 out of the slot 39 under the action of the spring 51 engaged with the inside of the two legs 48 of the tiltable elements 49, so as to engage the needle loop carried by the latch needle being advanced across the row of the sinkers and to keep the needle loop in front of the ro-w of sinkers. But when -the latch needle retires, it may pass across the rows of sinkers carrying a new portion of the yarn to form a new needle loop by virtue of the spring 51 which permits it to push the iins `47 into the slot 39. The legs 48 are restricted from swinging further by means of a stop 53.

rIllius any of these modiiied sinkers has a widened head which is gradually narrowed up to the tip of the sinker so that it is possible lto transfer a loop of fancy stitch work by inserting a transfer point Sil into the space between the narrowed p-art of the widened head of a sinker and the same part of the neighbouring sinker (as shown in FIGS. 7, 25, 26, 30, and 32).

In an embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 through 15, and 16A through 16H, ya sinker 1 has a widened head comprising a swingable element 22 but the slot is not disclosed. The swingable element 22 is pivoted yon the top of the sinker rod 60, and lis swingable about the transversal pivot C. The element 22 is made of a piece of butterilyshaped sheet metal and bent symmetrically, the pivot C extending through the upper wings so that the lowermost edge of the swingable element 22 may rest on the intermediate part of the sinker rod eil by its own weight. In the position as above, two projecting ends of ythe two lower wings may restrict the needle loop 6 while being carried by the latch needle 2 when the same is advanced across the row of the sinkers 1. When the latch needle 2 retires carrying a new part of the yarn to form -a new needle loop, the lower wings may be Iturned upwards by the yarn so `as to `facilitate the inward passage of the yarn carried Vby the latch needle 2. It i's necessary to design the swingable element 22 so that the distance between the pivot C and the uppermost edge H is somewhat less the distance between the pivot C and the uppermost end K of the sinker trod 60 and, of course, the center of gravity of the swingable element 22 rests on the body side of the sinker rod 60, so that the swingable element 22 tends to turn normally in a counter-clockwise direction when moved in the direction in FIGS. 13 and 16. In order to facilitate insertion of a transfer point 50, the sheet metal members attached to the swingable element 2.2 'are formed with la narrowed part 51 between the upper wings and the lower wings. In- View of this, the shape of the swingable element 22 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 is more preferable than the shape shown in FIGS. 36 and 37.

A still further modification of the widened head of the sinker 1 in accordance with this invention is shown in FIGS. 38 and 39, in which a swingable element 22 is made of a length of wire, bent upon itself into a trapezoid, and journ-alled transversally across the top of the sinker rod 60. The swingable wire element 22 may swing in the same manner as the `above embodiment.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, modifications Ithereof will readily occur to those skilled in the art. It should be understood therefore that the invention is not limited to the particular 4arrangements disclosed but that the appended claims `are intended to cover all modifications which do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and Letters Patent is:

1. A hand knitting machine comprising -a body having a plurality of sinkers arranged in a row and a plurality of latch needles, said latch needles being movable along a pathway and adapted to be advanced frontwards across said row between adjacent sinkers and to be retired rearwards carrying a yarn respectively, each sinker being provided with a transversely extending head protrusion having a right-hand shoulder and a left-hand shoulder, said shoulders forming yarn engaging abutments located at a point intersected by said latch needle pathway so as to prevent a courseforming needle loop of a knitted fabric knitted of said yarn from passing frontwa-rds across said row together with said latch needle on which said needle loop is carried, when said needle loop is pushed Lover the needle latch, in such a manner that said needle loop may Iengage with said shoulders of said transversely extending protrusions of said adjacent sinkers, said latch needle only passing through a space between said transversely extending protrusions of said adjacent sinkers, whereby said knitted fabric is prevented from slipping ol of said latch needles and through the sinkers, said yarn engaging shoulders being located midway between the ends of said sinkers providing uppermost restricted passageways between adjacent sinkers and llowermost enlarged passageways extending from said body to said shoulders.

2. A han-d knitting machine comprising a body and a plurality of sinkers arranged in a Irow and a plurality of latch needles movable in a pathway, each sinker having a transversally extending head protrusion including at least one transversally tiltable element arranged in a slot in said head, said element being :formed of triangular shape and having a leg extending along :a yside of said triangle and an -eye at the vertex through which a pin is xed to said head so `that said tiltable element may -tilt about said pin, and said head protrusion being further provided with a spring acting on said yleg so as to urge said leg transversally and a stop to limit movement of said leg, a shoulder formed by the `triangles of said sinkers desired to be secured by being exposed-out of said slot vnormally by virtue of Said spring, said shoulder forming a yarn loop abutment located at a point intersected by said pathway and said latch needle being adapted to advance frontwards across said row between adjacent sinkers and to be retired rearwards carrying a yarn, respectively, said shoulders of each triangular element preventing a course-forming need-le loop of a knitted fabric knitted of said yarn from passing frontwards across said row together with said latch needle on which said needle loop is carried, when said needle loop is pushed `over said latch, in such a manner that said yarn loop may engage with said shoulder of said tiltable element of said sinker, passing said latch needle only through a space between said head protrusion of one of said sinkers and an adjacent sinker, whereby said knitted fabric is prevented from slipping oif of said latch needle land said sinker, said yarn engaging shoulders being located midway between the ends of the said sinkers providing uppermost restricted passageways between adjacent sinkers and lowermost enlarged passageways extending from said body to said shoulders.

3. A hand knitting machine comprising a support, a plurality of sinkers arranged in a row on said support, a series of latch needles arranged in equidistantly spaced apart relation corresponding to the spacing of said sinkers and extending toward said sinkers at an acute angle therewith, said latch needles being :arranged for movement along a pathway and to be advanced forwardly in interdigitating relation between said sinkers and to be moved rearwardly with respect thereto carrying a yarn, each sinker being provided with a transversely extending head projection having a right hand shoulder and a left hand shoulder, said shoulders `forming yarn engaging abutments located at a point intersected by said latch needle pathway, said shoulders beginning at the intermediate portion of said sinker and extending to a point substantially located at the end of said sinker so as to form a restricted area between adjacent sinkers and a limited pathway for said latch needles and prevent a course-forming needle loop of a knitted fabric knitted from said yarn from passing forwardly across said row with said latch needle on which said needle loop is carried when said needle loop is fed over the needle latch in such a manner that said needle loop will engage said shoulders of the transversely extending bead projections of said sinkers, said latch needle being movable through the transversely extending projections and operating in the restricted area space therebetween of said shoulders, whereby the knitted fabric is prevented from slipping off said latch needles and through said sinkers, said transversely extending head projections being arranged in the same plane `common to said row of sinkers, said yarn engaging shoulders being located midway -between the ends 4of said sinkers providing uppermost restricted passageways between adjacent sinkers and lowermost enlarged passageways extending from said body to said shoulders.

4. A hand knitting machine ycomprising a body having a plurality of sinkers arranged in a row and a plurality of latch needles, said latch needles being movable along a pathway and provided with a stern adapted to be advanced frontwards across said row between adjacent sinkers and to lbe retired rearwards carrying a yarn, respectively, each sinker being provided with a transversely extending head protrusion having la right-hand shoulder and a left-hand shoulder, said shoulders forming yarn engaging abutments located at a point intersected by said latch needle pathway, said head protrusions of said sinkers being spaced la transversal distance to form a passage between the head protrusions of adjacent sinkers, said sinkers being spaced a distance appreciably less than a sum of a thickness of said stern of said latch needle and twice as much as a thickness of said stretched yarn so as to prevent a course-forming needle loop of a knitted fabric f Said yarn from passing frontwards across said row together with said latch needle on which said needle loop is carried, when said needle loop is pushed over the latch in such a manner that said needle loop may be engaged with said shoulders of said head protrusions of said sinker passing said latch needle only through a space between said head protrusions of lone of said sinkers and the same of the adjacent sinker, whereby said knitted fabric is prevented from sliping off of said latch needle and through said sinkers, said yarn engaging shoulders being located midway between the ends of said sinkers providing uppermost restricted passageways between adjacent sinkers, and lowermost enlarged passageways extending from said body to said shoulders.

5. A hand knitting machine comprising a body having a plurality of sinkers arranged in a row and a plurality of latch needles, said latch needles being movable along a pathway and adapted to be advanced frontwards across said row between adjacent sinkers and to be retired rearwards carrying a yarn, respectively, each of said latch needles being provided with a stem, each sinker being provided with -a transversely extending head protrusion having a right-hand shoulder and Va left-hand shoulder, said shoulders forming yarn engaging -abutments located at la point intersected by said latch needle pathway, a transversal space between head protrusions of the adjacent sinkers with each space being -appreciably less than a sum of a thickness of said stern of said latch needle yand twice as much as a thickness of said stretched yarn so as to prevent a course-forming needle loop of a knitted fabric knitted of said yarn from passing frontwards across said row together with said latch needle on which said needle loop is carried, when said needle loop is pushed over the latch, in such a manner that said needle loop may engage with said shoulders of said head protrusions of said sinker, only passing through the latch needles through a space between said head protrusions of one of Said adjacent sinkers, whereby said knitted fabric is prevented from slipping off of said latch needles and through said sinkers, and a transversal space between said head protrusions of the adjacent sinkers somewhat above the first named distance being appreciably more than said sum so as to facilitate said latch needle carrying said yarn to retire and to form a new needle loop, said yarn engaging shoulders being located midway between the ends of said sinkers providing uppermost restricted passageways between adjacent sinkers and lowermost enlarged passageways extending from said body to said shoulders.

v6. A hand knitting machine comprising a body having a plurality of sinkers arranged in a row and made of elastic wire and a plurality of latch needles, said latch needles being movable along a pathway and adapted to tbe advanced forwards across said row between adjacent sinkers, said latch needles each being provided with a stem adapted to advance frontwards across said row between adjacent sinkers and to Jbe retired rearwards carrying a yarn respectively, each sinker being provided with a transversely extending head protrusion having a righthand shoulder and a yleft-hand shoulder, said shoulders forming yarn engaging abutments located at a point intersected by said latch needle pathway, the sinkers being arranged to provide a transversal space lbetween the head protrusions of adjacent sinkers which is appreciably less than a sum of a thickness of said stern of said latch needle :and twice as great as a thickness of said yarn stretched v so as to prevent a course-forming needle loop olf a knitted fabric of said yarn from passing frontwards across said row together with said latch needle on which said needle loop is carried, when said needle loop is pushed over the latch, in such a manner that said needle loop may engage with said shoulders of said transversely extending head protrusions of said sinker, passing between the -latch needles only through a space between said transversely extending head protrusions of one of said sinkers and the same of an adjacent sinker, whereby said knitted fabric is prevented from slipping oi of said latch needle and said sinker, and a transversal space between said head protrusions of 'adjacent sinkers somewhat above the firstnamed space being variable by virtue of said elasticity of said wire so as to facilitate retirement of said latch vneedle carrying said yarn to form a new needle loop, in such a manner that the second named distance becomes appreciably more than said sum only when said latch needle retires, said yarn engaging shoulders being lcated midway between the ends of said sinkers providing uppermost restricted passageways between adjacent sinkers and lowermost enlarged passageways extending from said body to said shoulders.

7. A hand knitting machine comprising a body having a plurality of sinkers arranged in a row and a plurality of latch needles movable in a pathway, said latch needles being adapted to be advanced frontwards across said row between adjacent `sinkers and to be retired rearwards carrying a yarn, respectively, each sinker being provided with a transversely extending head protrusion having a transversely deformable element made of an elastic material arranged in a slot provided in said head, said deformable element having a right-hand shoulder and a lefthand shoulder exposed out of said slot normally, said shoulders forming yarn engaging abutments located at a point intersected by said latch needle pathway, and said latch needle being adapted to advance frontwards across said row between adjacent sinkers but to prevent a course-forming needle loop of a knitted fabric knitted of said yarn `from passing `frontiwards across said row t0- geth'er with said latch needle on which said needle loop is carried when said needle loop is pushed over the latch, in such a marmer that said needle loop may engage with said shoulders of said deformable element of one of said sinkers, passing said latch needle only through a restricted space between said transversely extending head protrusions and the same of an adjacent sinker, whereby said knitted fabric is prevented from slipping olf of said latch needles and through the sinkers, said yarn engaging shoulders being located midway between the ends of said sinkers providing uppermost restricted passageways between adjacent sinkers and lowermost enlarged passageways extending from said body to said shoulders.

8. A hand knitting machine comprising a body having a plurality of sinkers arranged in a row and a plurality of latch needles, 4said latch needles being movable along a pathway and adapted to be advanced frontwards across said row between adjacent sinkers `and to be retired rearwards carrying a yarn, respectively, each sinker being prO- vided with a transversely extending head protrusion having a right-hand shoulder and a left-hand shoulder, said shoulders forming yarn engaging elements located at a. point intersected by said latch needle pathway so as to prevent a course-fonming needle -loop of a knitted fabric knitted of said yarn from passing frontwards across said row together with said latch needle on which said needle loop is carried, when said needle loop is pushed over the needle latch, in such a manner that said needle loop may engage with said shoulders of said transversely extending protrusion of said adjacent sinkers, said latch needle only passing through a space between said transversely extending protrusions of said adjacent sinkers, whereby said knitted ifa-bric is prevented from slipping olf of said latch needles and through said sinkers, said yarn engaging shoulders 'bein-g located midway between the ends of said sinkers providing uppermost restricted passageways between adjacent sinkers and lowermost enlarged passageways extending from said body to said shoulders, each of said sinkers including a rod having a transversely extending head protrusion provided with a longitudinally swingable element composed of a sheet metal member in the shape of a butterfly, said butterfly member having a pair of upper Wings and lower wings bent transversely along the longitudinal center of said 'butterfly lmember s0 as to cover one half side of said rod, said butterfly member being pivoted on said rod by means of a pin extending through said rod and said t-wo upper Wings, the right and left-hand shoulders of said transversely extending head protrusions being formed by said lower wings, the intermediate portion of said two `shoulders being adapted to rest normally on said rod by the weight of said butterfly member, said butterliy member being restricted from swinging movement in one direction by engaging the top of said rod.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS `2,844,015 Luchsinger July 22, 1958 2,909,049 Rees Oct. 20, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 961,740 `Germany Apr. 11, 1957 771,560 Great Britain Apr. 3, 1957 

